Marc’s Festive Christmas Fete

Flash hoped he looked alright having had dental surgery earlier that week.

Tonight was the eve of Marc’s ‘Not to Miss’ Christmas staff party as well as the Eve of the Tall Brother’s Cannabis Cup Victory Bash. Flash had spent around $20.00 on his prohibition era themed zoot suit for the occasion.

He’d bought a costume hat like 30’s mobster for $3.79 plus a bright neon green bandana for brim for another $.99 cents. He had needed safety pins to hem his trusty dress pants, plus, a nice old fashioned formal blazer in Fighting Irish Green for $7.79 from the Salvation Army Thrift Store with cuff links for his tuxedo shirt for $5.50. more.

Flash noticed the coffee table Marc and Michelle and others were gathered around held two heaping bowls overflowing with aromatic bud of the highest quality having been acquired, Marc indicated, from: “Jordan of the Islands.”

Jordan’s strain ‘God Bud’ won BEST INDICA at the CANNABIS CUP in Amsterdam. Love Potion #1 by REEFERMAN SEEDS www.reefermanseeds.com was voted BEST SATIVA by judges. Both Jordan of the Islands and Reeferman are handled by Marc Emery Seeds Direct and both strains originate out of British Columbia. So you might say: “‘B.C. Bud Rulz'” even Europe now!

Over to the side on long tables of white linen were industrial size trays the Island caterer had laid out of good food. Guests had their choice of the more traditional Christmas fare of sliced turkey, mash potatoes, stuffing and gravy or; salmon fillets, Vegi kabobs and Thai Salad. Of course, as at everyone of Marc’s soir?e’s, there was his favorite shrimp rings sprinkled with sesame seeds in addition to cheese and fruit platters as hors d’oeuvres.

There were beverages in an ice filled basket of all sorts, everything from spring water and healthy juices to Coca Cola and diet soda products. Flash went for the coffee which was laid out in 4 large canisters next to an equal number of thermoses for every kind of tea including Green, Earl Grey, and Celestial Seasonings.

There seemed to be less of a crowd than usual at this exclusive event. Dana Larsen the Cannabis Culture editor was sorely missed. Flash had been told not to bring an escort or friend from outside. The regulars were there for sure, Chris Bennett, manager of www.Pot-tv.net, author of Sex Drugs Violence and the Bible; Renee Boje Bennett, his wife and drug war refugee (www.reneeboje.com) was taking a few hours off minding baby Shiva for a change. David Malmo Levine was there of course promoting the opening of his new Drug War History Museum accompanied by the gracious and intelligent Rielle of the BC Compassion club.

‘CiCi’ was back from her maternity leave and had brought her husband along. CC 44 cover girl, Natrishka and brought her boyfriend too his arms exquisitely and elaborately tattooed. Earlier that day Flash had spotted Natrishka and her beau babysitting her baby sister outside a Bubble Tea caf? both looking quite happy.

The bookshop girls in attendance with their resplendent coifed hair added an air of fun and frivolity as usual. Nebula and Flash had a good heart to heart about their writing ambitions. Flash got to finally thank him for the work he does proofing and editing his epic works and to apologize for when Flash had been too impatient about things.

Scott showed up from the Kind Revolution Boarding and Record Shop across the street. Watermelon came in the back way with a full entourage of well known pot people in procession behind her.

Flash tasted a toke from the coffee table and was struck at how it tasted both ‘fruity’ like a blueberry or mango but also dead skunky like a real skunk passing by or skunk cabbage. “This tastes BOTH fruity and skunky!” Flash exclaimed and in his enthusiasm tried to pass it on the Marijuana Man and his purpled haired assistant. MJ Man waved him off as he already had a joint going.

In fact looking around the now more crowded catacomb like basement of the BC Marijuana Party HQ there was really no one to pass to who didn’t already have something on the go, forcing Flash to have double and triple clutch on the jay.

Marc Emery was using his Canuck bong as a kind of microphone or talking stick, forgetting to refill it from time to time, but was gently reminded by Flash who kept the bud ground up and coming as the bong made its rounds.

On the other side of the caterers serving out the meal was a side table heaped with various varieties and brands of rolling papers including pure hemp, Smoking and Eco brand as well as 6 inch Bob Marley papers, camouflage, flavored and colored papers and a smooth soft wood grinder to go with another heaping bowl of B.C. buds.

This particular bud was extremely ‘sticky’ in that it would gum up the grinder. When lit, if imperfectly rolled, it would go immediately out. Flash found himself in a predicament where he would light one with someone, in the back patio Zen garden for instance, and it would go out. They would lose interest and it would end up roached in his pocket. The next day, with just that small amount more curing, the errant joints smoked perfectly as sweet sage tasting phatties.

Flash grabbed a small handful of the pleasant nuggs to tip one of the two servers, surrounded as they were by party goers and working up a sweat stowing away the dirtied dishes. Flash helped out in that regard too collecting the odd dish or cutlery he found laying about for them.

Security must really have been tougher than Flash had thought. His younger roommate, who lately has been playing a lot of Ghost Recon, had been disappointed not to have rendezvoused with Flash earlier in order to make an exchange. As much as Flash had been looking forward to a night out, carrot topped Atomic Atom had been looking forward to tripping, all by himself, at home.

With no one to greet him out front and no trace of Flash at the New Amsterdam Caf? Atom made his way out back to the rear door of BCMP HQ. He was just considering scaling the wall, and summing up the severity of the barbed wire hazard, when an invited couple to the party arrived, knocked and were being let in.

Before Atom could even blurt out “Flash Gordon,” in that junky ridden back alley, he saw the door closing behind them and made a lunge for it. What followed was a misunderstanding and altercation that nearly led to fisticuffs had not older wiser heads prevailed and dispatch sent to Flash who soon appeared, vouched for and cooled out his visitor.

Inside the party patrons were not easily distracted. They were riveted to the greatly gifted and talented techie Ian’s 3 hour Pot-TV special of the year 2004 in review.

Flash’s heart swelled with pride to see how Ian had interspersed Flash’s NewHawks clips with other Pot-TV content seamlessly. Not only had they been saved from going down into the obscurity of the Orwellian “Memory Hole” but had been poignantly resurrected. It was obvious Ian had a thorough familiarity with what content was available on www.Pot-TV.Net in 2004 but also an intuitive sense of current events and how the various clips all fit together to reveal the Truth about the Drug War’s Failings and the Hazards of Drug Law Reform vs. true Decriminalization and the need for leadership in Legalization and Regulation in Canada. 2004 In Retro should be produced to DVD or VHS for sale through B.C.M.P. Bookstore because it’s a ‘keeper.’

Flash was swathed across the back of the neck by something warm and fuzzy. It was Michelle she was swatting Flash with a red fuzzy stocking for he was sitting in front of a whole pile of them topped off with fuzzy brown bears for those with children.

The stocking he received was full of what he needed most after dental surgery “… C H O C O L A T E …” (as Homer would say) There was Tublerone and tiny thin chocolate wafers, plus all kinds Canadian chocolates as well.

Israeli biochemist Raphael Menchoulam first isolated the premier psychoactive delta-9 THC in 1964. In 1989, US scientist William Devane tracked down the anandamide receptor sites that interact with the THC metabolites that the brain persuades the hands to put into the body. Non-governmental pharmacologists at the Neurosciences Institute of San Diego announced that chocolate prolongs and intensifies the good feelings of THC, something cannabis consumers have known for decades.

Flash was reminded that only three things in this world generate a neurochemical very similar to THC, called anandamide, which translated, to Greek the word it means bliss. One was chocolate the other Sex and the third Cannabis. Sure enough there in the toe of the Christmas stocking was a glad press-and-seal container with a fair quantity of quality BC Bud. Flash knew it was from Santa but could not help to give Michelle a big hug for delivering for him.

The party went on from before 6pm till well after nine when the caterers started their clean up. The partying was not over yet however; Marc Emery had bought a large number of tickets to “The Tall Brother’s Cannabis Cup Victory Bash” which was taking place next door at the New Amsterdam caf? and offered them to anyone there who planned to attend.

Flash made his adieus thanking Michelle and Marc and taking the opportunity to get a picture taken in his costume with the Prince of Pot and the naively beautiful Jodie G. and made his way to meet his friends next door.